Lancashire lose wickets before lunch

First session honours finished just about even in sunny SE11 where Lancashire went in at lunch on 79 for two on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Surrey.

Having elected to bat first the fourth-placed visitors lost Luke Procter (5) and in-form England prospect Haseeb Hameed (26) on a pitch at The Kia Oval that has already shown signs of alarming uneven bounce.

Procter fell lbw in the eighth over of the day when he played across one on the back foot to be wrapped in front by Sam Curran.

Then, with 51 on the board, Hameed gloved an attempted pull shot against Mark Footitt to the diving Ben Foakes at leg gully, having fallen hook, line and sinker for Surrey’s leg theory trap.